


Joker Junior

by Whistle_Mist



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Gen, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, poor Tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:47:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26834677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whistle_Mist/pseuds/Whistle_Mist
Summary: Suddenly Drake started to laugh hysterically—a laugh that made Damian remember Joker—and the other turned around, his face twisted in a smile, eyes wide, the body language so completely different from Drake's composed posture it made Damian sick hearing the next part of the conversation. "You can't control me! I live inside you."
Relationships: Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 5
Kudos: 65





	Joker Junior

The room was kept as clean as possible. It was kept with calming colors, a large bed, and soft sheets that were so rare it was almost impossible to get them. The pillows were filled with the softest memory foam. Smaller pillows made out of silk were pilled up in little piles almost as if to protect the small body in the middle of the bed.

It had been years since Tim had remembered, and for some reason, it had come out of nowhere. It had been easy before when he had asked two members of the Justice League to seal away the horrid memories of being Joker Junior.

Back when Tim was just thirteen years old out alone on patrol, he had gone to oversee something simple. What it was he couldn't remember. Batman had said not to wander far, not ready to let his little Robin go off by himself.

After that he had been knocked out and woken up in a place he didn't recognize until it was too late. Then the torment started. However, Tim tried—god he had tried—to remain strong. He could remember now all that had happened that week, or what felt like years, of being a prisoner of the Joker. What the sadistic lovers had done to him.

What didn't make sense was how in the world these memories had broken through. It made no sense on any level. The spell placed on him to erase the memories should have lasted forever and yet somehow they had come back all of a sudden and in such a terrible situation.

Closing his eyes, Tim remembered the night before.

They had a mission, Red Robin and Robin, and had gotten to the crime in time. When the culprits fled, Red Robin gave chase only to slow down to a stop and Robin started to yell at him when flashes started to appear.

Confused and startled, Red Robin had stopped, his head whipping around, seeing things that weren't there. The laughter of Joker who was dead, the song Hush Little Baby echoing from every single place around them until finally he was yanked back by Robin who was yelling at him. At least he thought Robin was yelling at him because he couldn't hear him.

Just a damn song.

Suddenly Red Robin was trying to pull away from Robin, scared to death of the boy. Everything was like a horrified dream as things flashed like a light being turned on and off rapidly, and then some sense came back and Red Robin realized that he was screaming hysterically and Robin was gripping his elbows and shaking him.

"What's wrong with you?!" Robin had screamed. "Snap out of it! Red Robin! Red Robin, shut up, you idiot!"

"Nooo…!" His voice had come out so desperate and terrified that it didn't sound like him at all. "Please let go! Pl-please do-don't! Stop it…!"

Robin yelled at him again for a few more minutes as Red Robin just started to scream hysterically like something horrible was happening, when to Robin nothing was wrong—but the images, the memories, the old wounds, the recognizing what strange pains were coming back so fast that it felt like something was ripping apart his mind.

Suddenly a black mass dropped next to him, pulling Red Robin into the darkness that often brought other people fear but only brought him comfort. This time however Tim couldn't stop his breakdown or whatever was happening to him. He tried to tell himself that it was fear toxin, but Scarecrow was in Arkham, and in the back of his mind he swore something was telling him that it wasn't a dream.

They started to give him something to sedate him when suddenly a seizure came upon him. Shaking and convulsing, he felt Batman and Robin hold him down until it was over. The next thing he knew he had woken up in the cave and started to cry and cry like a lost child.

Now, however, Bruce knew that he had remembered what Joker had done to him. That was why he was back in this room he had been in when recovering. It made sense now why this room was right next to Bruce's and why it was always reserved.

Tim just didn't know it was for him.

Taking in a breath, Tim rolled over feeling exhausted and feeling like his world had been turned into a dream. Closing his eyes for a second he opened them to look up at the paintings on the walls and smiled a little.

Somewhere he remembered painting them a while back. Tim hadn't known that Bruce had kept them and had placed them in this room. Sighing again Tim looked at the medicine that lay by his nightstand. He frowned at it.

Losing a spleen, prone to illness, and now to add to that little pile was antidepressants and a few vitamins. Reaching over Tim picked them up, taking out the right amount of the pills before looking over at the food left from that morning. Removing the top, he frowned at the food.

He wasn't hungry. Not at all, but that was just the depression or maybe the shock or… well, either way Tim wasn't hungry but he had to take his medicine. Taking the toast he managed to eat it with a few large bites before popping the pills into his mouth and washing them down with some water.

Once that was done Tim noticed a mirror in the room and paused as he thought he saw something in it, so he stared for a few minutes before standing up, walking over to it. Something had happened before turning away.

It was nothing.

Nothing at all.

The door opened and Tim cursed himself for jumping slightly before staring at someone he didn't want to see at the moment. Of all the family, Tim didn't want to see anyone except Bruce, and had even requested only Bruce be allowed to come to his room.

"Go away, Dick," Tim said. His voice came out raspy from the screaming the night before. "I don't want you in here."

"It's okay, Timmy, we can talk about it."

"No." Tim backed up. "Get out."

"Tim, please let's just sit down and maybe-"

"Shut up!" Tim yelled suddenly, snapping his head to the right. "I said get out, get out!"

Dick moved forward to help his little brother when the door opened and Jason walked in with Barbara to see Tim. This only seemed to anger Tim as he lashed out at them to get out and screamed in rage. Jason gritted his teeth, rushing forward to grab Tim, but the third Robin moved so fast that it was unbelievably terrifying when the smaller Robin had him pinned on the floor and a letter opener at his neck.

"I said get out! Get out, get out, get out!" Tim screamed at him so full of hatred and so full of anger that it stunned them all. "You're not welcome here! This is my room and my room alone!"

The door opened again, this time with Bruce there. He took in the situation before calmly walking over to Tim, holding out his hand. Nothing happened for a minute before Tim slowly removed the letter opener and placed it in the man's hand, muttering that he wanted them out of his room.

"Of course. Everyone out."

"But Bruce…" Barbara started when he shot her a glare. "…Alright, come on guys, let's go."

They left the room, and the second the door closed they could hear Tim sobbing and Bruce trying to console his third child.

\--

It had been three weeks since Drake had had some kind of mental breakdown, and the time he was out of commission was perfectly fine. After all, he didn't like Red Robin roaming around Gotham, and besides, after what happened he had hoped that the third Robin would be out of patrol for a long while.

As Damian walked past the room that Drake had been placed in, he paused, hearing Drake talking to someone. Walking up to the door he pressed his ear against the wood and listened in as Drake was telling himself that everything was alright. Snorting, Damian turned to leave when he heard a voice that sounded like Drake's only it was a little deeper and seemed to be mocking.

"Did you think that I would ever let you go?" the deeper voice asked in a laughing airy whisper. "Maybe a few more shocks will make you remember,"

It was followed by Drake's voice. "Stop it…"

"If you did, I'm sad to say, that that's not how things work robbyboy."

"Shut up," Drake hissed.

"You will never get away from me…"

Damian jumped back as he heard a loud crash. Something slammed against the door. Without thinking, Damian scaled the wall and quickly climbed into the vent to see what was going on and who was with Drake only to find the seventeen-year-old by himself.

The tea set Pennyworth had brought up that morning lie in pieces and Drake was pacing back and forth, his hands clutching his black hair and both whimpering and sounding like he was about to cry or laugh at the same time.

Suddenly Drake whirled around, pointing at the mirror and yelling at it. 

Suddenly Drake's face twisted into a smirk, eyes widening and looking sickly amused, and that voice was back and mocking the reflection.

"I'm what you see when you look in the mirror." A scary giggle broke free from the older Robin's throat almost as if amused. 

"All that you are is a nightmare!" Drake walked up to the mirror, glaring at it. 

Of course, Damian could only see Drake from the back now, but the switching from one to another he could see clearly and it chilled him greatly as the other Drake grabbed onto the sides of the mirror so quickly it was disturbing.

"It will never end!" Other Drake stroked his reflection's check. "This one is a nightmare that goes on and on."

"No!"

"I am here to stay no matter what you pretend,"

Tim screamed, looking almost desperate. "I won't let myself lose control."

Suddenly Drake started to laugh hysterically—a laugh that made Damian remember Joker—and the other turned around, his face twisted in a smile, eyes wide, the body language so completely different from Drake's composed posture it made Damian sick hearing the next part of the conversation.

"You can't keep your mind forever and soon I will devour your soul!"

Tim started to scream and cry once again as he had on the mission and Damian backed away as his father came rushing into the room and scooped Drake into his arms, trying to calm the other down even though Drake was fighting that voice that had come to hunt him, and suddenly Damian had a name that would lead him to the knowledge of what had happened to the third Robin.

"Damn you, Junior, leave me alone!" Tim was struggling against Bruce. "I won't go back, Junior! No, never!"

Giggling followed. "Yes, forever with me, ever and ever,"

\--

Leaving, Damian stood there a minute before walking into the kitchen and looking right at Alfred with a determined look.

"Yes, Master Damian?"

"Tell me about Joker Junior."


End file.
